Matte Lip Love

Matte lips and I are having a bit of a thing at the moment. It hasn't always been this way, so I was actually quite surprised at just how many I rounded up in my lip drawer for this post, and this isn't all of them. Whereas they used to dry my lips out within minutes and I'd be left with a chapped mess, I've found some beautiful products which give a great colour payoff and aren't too drying..

Working From Home 101: Keeping Organized

Working from home isn't quite the walk in the park it seems; yes, I do get to lie-in when my cats have kept me up half the night, and I work in my pyjamas from the comfort of my couch most days with no-one to judge me except the postman when I open the door to deliveries, but it does have its downfalls too. Most days I work all day, and of course I take little breaks, but I'm usually on my laptop or packaging orders until 10-11pm, and it is a struggle sometimes to stay inspired and organised, so here's my tips..

No7 Pop & Glow Mango Sorbet Cream Blush & Instant Radiance Highlighter

If you saw my Boots haul a couple weeks ago you'll have spotted these already. I was undecided whether to pick this up for quite some time, but I've really been getting into more cream products recently, and more than anything I usually don't need any excuse to add another peach blush to my collection, so the Pop & Glow Cream Blush and Instant Radiance Highlighter sticks became mine.

The Exfoliators

Recently my skin has been really improving and I've been cutting down on how many products I use, but one thing that really stays the same is my love of exfoliation. I'm not sure why, but there really isn't anything that makes such a difference to my skin, and I probably use at least 2-3 products a day, which for some may be too much, but my skin seems to lap it all up.

Bumble & Bumble Quenching Shampoo and Masque

I'm having a bit of a thing for Bumble and Bumble at the moment. Whilst I haven't tried much (just the Thickening Hairspray and Deeep masque at the moment), I absolutely love everything I've tried and they're both a large part of my haircare routine. I'm always looking for ways to help with how dry and frizzy my natural hair is, so tried out the Quenching range to see if that could be of any help.

Jurlique Purely Bright Cleanser and Daily Moisturiser

Jurlique and I's relationship is relatively new, until recently I've only tried the Calendula Redness Rescue Moisturiser which I loooooved, so gladly added a cleanser and moisturiser from the Purely Bright range to my skincare routine. Both are designed to brighten and even skintone, which with redness and blemish scarring, I'm really in desperate need of. 

An Orange Obsession

I'm a big fan of orange; being a pale girl I always thought it suits me, and especially with make-up it really brightens my complexion and gives it a bit of colour! This became especially obvious to me on my latest shopping spree where I ended up leaving with all orange items.

Forever Repurchased #2

There's a few products that I use so often that really, they're just a given, and I end up never really giving them a proper review on the blog. There's quite a few products I regularly use that I love, and I know I'll be buying them for years to come.

Summer Make Up Sorted

Until recently my only experience with Liz Earle has been their skincare, and their wonderful make-up range completely passed me by. Summer says to me nothing but peaches and corals, so I gladly added a couple more items to my already pretty extensive collection, a cream blush and a beautiful lipstick, both perfect for the warmer months.

A Couple of Bedside Heroes

There was a time when I'd hop into bed still with make-up on, or if I could be bothered I'd get it all off quickly with a face wipe; fast forward a few years and my night-time skincare routine fills me with possibly more joy than it probably should, and it's really down to a couple of products that are making all the difference to my skin.

Spring Boots Haul (& Giveaway)

It happens to be the best of us, we nip into Boots with the intention of picking up just one or two things and end up with a basket full. I wasn't quite so bad this time, I still ended up leaving with a slightly lighter purse last week but I picked up what I consider to be some Spring essentials. That's the story I'm stickin' to, anyway!

The 2-in-1s

I love a good multi-use product; if I can use it for more than one thing, it definitely spurs me on to buy it. It's probably the thrifty side of me, almost like I'm getting my moneys worth if I can use something as a few different things. There's quite a few on the market, from cheek and lip tints, to skincare, or oils, and here's some of my favourites..

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks

I tried, I really did, but after a couple weeks of indecision, two of the new Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks finally became mine. Lord knows I don't need any more lip products, but me and matte lips are having a bit of a thing at the moment, and seeing this new release from Bourjois, who seem to do no wrong, I knew I'd eventually cave and try them out. I picked up a pretty peach, Peach Club, and a vibrant fuschia, Ole Flamingo, just in time for the sunshine.

Battle of the Balms

Cleansing balms are a relatively new addition to my skincare routine, but since my first try I really can't get enough of them. They're such a fantastic way of removing every single scrap of make-up whilst really nourishing the skin and giving it a deep clean without stripping. At the moment I only have a couple that I regularly use, but both are wonderful in their own little way.

Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder

Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder - £14.45

Being an oily skinned gal, a setting powder is essential to me. For years I've been using the Rimmel Stay Matte which is loved by so many of us bloggers, and whilst it isn't perfect, it does the job and at just under £4, it's definitely one of the best high street powders out there. But after reading some good reviews, and with a little nudge from the Escentual 1/3 off they've been offering recently, I ordered the Vichy Dermablend powder to see if it could rival the powder I've been using since the age of 16.

The Sunday Post: Five Favourites

It's been a lovely little week! Yesterday was little Mia bum's first birthday, I honestly can't believe how time flies! It really doesn't feel like a year ago we were heading up to the hospital to see Lauren and a little baby, now she's a little lady (almost) walkin' and talkin' (more noises!) with a whole personality of her own. I've been focusing on making some changes around the home too, and found some cute things around the charity shops.

Weekend Wishlist #4

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

01. I'm having a bit of a love affair with trousers at the moment, which would be all well and good, apart from the fact I only own two pairs so they're both being worn to death. I always love the H&M trousers, they seem like good enough quality, and these are only £12 for the pair!

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

I know I've mentioned this little beauty a few times in posts before, but I thought it was about time I did a full review on it. I've always been a big face mask user, although there was a time when I'd just buy clay masks to bust some blemishes. Since then I've got a full range of different masks which I make a little facial routine with around two times a week. The Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey mask is my latest addition and it's been creating fantastic results from the very first use.

March Favourites

Another month has flown by, Spring has graced us with it's presence and the sun is shining - pinch me, I must be dreaming! Beauty wise this month hasn't been too exciting, I've mainly been focusing on my home so beauty buys have been on the back burner, but I rediscovered a few old favourites as well as just a few new buys I've been loving.

"So.. What Do You Even Eat?!"

It's funny thinking back to the 11 year old me; I was probably pretty typical of my age, eating meat with two meals a day, and never really giving a thought as to what I was putting in my body, where it was coming from, or how it died. It was only after giggling a bit at a friend who was vegetarian, probably out of naivety, when I finally asked why she was, discovered the methods of producing meat in this country and animal cruelty, and after approval from my Mum, stopped eating meat in my first year of high school. 

I attempted to go vegan a few times, but as a big chocolate/cake/jacket potato with cheese fan, I always gave up after a few months, but last year I finally decided it was time to stop putting my 'needs' over those of animals. I've been getting a few questions about my vegan lifestyle, what I eat and products to recommend, so I'm finally putting together a post answering all of them!